Like the night right before dawn, proverbially

Latest answer — April 11, 2025

38 Down

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Friday, April 11, 2025 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Some pops
  2. 10Line accompanying a doorbell ring
  3. 15Richard Nixon or Mao Zedong, in a 1987 premiere
  4. 16Moved in bounds
  5. 17Activity with pints and points
  6. 18Not straight
  7. 19Ones in a war of words?
  8. 20Like Iceland's weather most of the year
  9. 21Longtime email provider
  10. 22They're high-pressure at their low points
  11. 24Action figures from Hasbro
  12. 27Japanese "thank you"
  13. 30Morris who directed "The Thin Blue Line"
  14. 31It's one step down from an F
  15. 33"Uh-huh"
  16. 34Vulgarian
  17. 35What ice skaters might turn into?
  18. 36"Sort by" option in a credit card history
  19. 37Messy ___ (hairstyle)
  20. 38Liquid-Plumr alternative
  21. 39Pilot returning to the air, e.g.
  22. 40Popeye's fare
  23. 42Passionate tributes
  24. 44Screen mover
  25. 46Dose of unreality?
  26. 47Sign of romantic chemistry
  27. 49Dropped, as a touchy subject
  28. 54Sign of vitality
  29. 55Neptune, e.g.
  30. 56French city whose last three letters are a French article
  31. 57Simple question written with two question marks
  32. 58Private affair
  33. 59Certain ephemeral social media post, informally

Down

  1. 1Makings of some homemade pipes
  2. 2Fitting name for a girl born in October
  3. 3Michael who played Allan in "Barbie"
  4. 4One into modeling at school
  5. 5Go on a full ride, say?
  6. 6Maryland's state bird
  7. 7What crossing your hands in front of your chest means in American Sign Language
  8. 8Bush nominee to the Supreme Court
  9. 9Creature with over 200 tiny eyes along its shell
  10. 10"Finish what you're doing"
  11. 11Futzing (with)
  12. 12Fabulizes
  13. 13On the ___
  14. 14Pushing boundaries
  15. 23Things sometimes named after kings and queens
  16. 24Party
  17. 25How Romeo dies, in the eyes of the audience
  18. 26Ones lost in lust
  19. 28Some attire worn with tights
  20. 29P.G.A. Tour event
  21. 30Wanes
  22. 32Boggy land
  23. 35Characters' trajectories
  24. 36At the absolute back of the pack
  25. 38Like the night right before dawn, proverbially
  26. 39Some real estate deals
  27. 41Tends to
  28. 43Music genre that's experimental yet radio-friendly
  29. 45Means of intel gathering
  30. 47Minor disagreement
  31. 48[Please keep scratching me!]
  32. 50Org. that's busy after disasters
  33. 51"You're ___ something!"
  34. 52Word with mint or miss
  35. 53Site with shops from around the world

The answer to “Like the night right before dawn, proverbially” in the New York Times crossword is DARKEST — a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 11, 2025, a Friday puzzle, at 38-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Like the night right before dawn, proverbially” answer

DARKEST (7 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is DARKEST.

Why the answer is DARKEST

DARKEST is the 7-letter solution that fits "Like the night right before dawn, proverbially" in the NYT Crossword crossword on April 11, 2025 (38-Down). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does DARKEST mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of DARKEST is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(adjective)

  • with little or no light
  • (of a colour or object) not reflecting much light; approaching black in shade
  • (of a period or situation) characterized by great unhappiness or unpleasantness

When else has “Like the night right before dawn, proverbially” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

April 11, 2025 (most recent) → DARKEST. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Like the night right before dawn, proverbially”?

The answer is DARKEST, a 7-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on April 11, 2025.

How many letters is the answer to “Like the night right before dawn, proverbially”?

7 letters: DARKEST.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on April 11, 2025 (a Friday puzzle), at 38-Down.

Can “Like the night right before dawn, proverbially” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for April 11, 2025 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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